THE FACT THAT WE have choices in life is what keeps things interesting. If we choose one direction then the outcome might be X, choose another and it’s Y. The good folks at Whitestone Cheese decided that life is too short to have to make a choice when it comes to cheese, so they came up with Vintage Five Forks. Named after the farming locality 20km south of Whitestone’s Oamaru home, Vintage Five Forks could be considered a cheese intersection. Blending cow and goat’s milk together and then ageing the hard-pressed cheese for 18 months, Whitestone’s award-winning cheese is like arriving at an intersection and choosing to travel in two directions at once. The cheese, made in rounds of approximately 1.7kg, is lighter in appearance due to the use of goat’s milk. On opening, a sweet and nutty aroma hints at what lies ahead and, as you might expect given its components, it’s anything but ordinary. Complex like an aged cheddar, with very generous mouthfeel, the initial flavours are sweet yet pleasantly acidic, melting out into a long smooth, creamy finish studded with the delightful crunch of calcium lactate crystals. Like an aged cheddar, Vintage Five Forks is flaky in texture, while having a slightly higher moisture content. This is my go-to choice for a customer who declares that they don’t like goat’s cheese. The goat flavour is subtle, but alongside its pastoral friend it combines to provide a unique, complex and moreish delight. It’s not every day we get the chance to take both roads at once, so buckle up and elevate your next cheeseboard and give Vintage Five Forks a try. whitestonecheese.com PAUL BROUGHTON

Paul Broughton is head cheesemaker at Remutaka Pass Creamery and owner of C’est Cheese, an artisanal cheese shop in Featherston in New Zealand products. cestcheese.co.nz